Anti-porn group calls for boycott of adult films

The Philippine Alliance Against Pornography Inc. (PAAP) called on the public yesterday to boycott all films with adult themes, even those that are approved and classified by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for general viewing.

But the movie classification board fired back at PAAP in a letter to The STAR yesterday, accusing the group’s spokesman, Aldo "Boy Blue" Filomeno, of libeling the government body in his fire-and-brimstone capsule reviews.

The MTRCB classifies films with ratings of R-18, R-13 and PG-13 to indicate the minimum age of patrons.

During yesterday’s Fernandina Media Forum held in Greenhills, San Juan, Filomeno urged every Filipino to boycott several "highly questionable" films shown recently in SM, Robinson’s, Ayala Cinemas, Glorietta, Greenbelt and Rockwell cinemas.

"Every parent, children, the church, business groups, schools, all organizations from Batanes to Jolo, should wake up, stand united and confront strongly the evils of pornography in the movies," Filomeno said.

Earlier, Filomeno said the MTRCB was promoting "Satanism and blasphemy" by approving certain films, citing "Hostel" and "Brokeback Mountain."

Filomeno said theatres are currently showing "North Country," which was given an R-13 rating after being reviewed and approved by the MTRCB.

"In the permit, the MTRCB said there is nothing really objectionable (about the movie) except for the scenes with a rubber male organ, profane words written on the wall such as ‘blow job,’ and other things. The theme is really for adults. These are the reasons why the committee gave the movie the rating R-13," said Filomeno, citing a scene in which a large prosthetic penis was shown in the lunchbox of a woman dining in a canteen.

"The MTRCB reviewers incriminated themselves when they admitted in the permit that the film is really for adults yet they allowed children ages 13 and up to watch it," he said.

Among the R-13 films criticized by the PAAP for depictions of "perverted acts, brutal violence and nudity" are ‘’Casanova," ‘Munich," "Derailed" and "V For Vendetta."

In addition, Filomeno cited two R-18 films — "Hostel" and "Brokeback Mountain" — that promote Satanism and blasphemy, respectively.

In calling for the boycott, Filomeno said SM, Robinson’s and Ayala have become rich partly because the public has patronized their cinemas.

He added that God "is not amused" by those who insult and mock religious beliefs.

"To the porn syndicates here and abroad, you can neither hide nor run. The wrath of God is upon you. He will give justice to the oppressed, the lowly and the children," Filomeno said.

But MTRCB chairperson Ma. Consololiza Laguardia said Filomeno had made a libelous complaint against the government agency.

Laguardia said Filomeno had at one time affixed the signatures of several PAAP officers who later disowned the letter of complaint because he had not validly secured their actual conformity and express consent, "for which he could have been held criminally accountable for Falsification of Official Documents."

Laguardia defended the MTRCB, saying it "is a mere review and classification board. It does not purport to be a censorship board albeit it provides for specific guidelines in which some movies can be disapproved for public showing if the dominant theme primarily focuses on, and appeals to, extreme sexually prurient interest or satisfies the craving or market for gratuitous sex or violence.

"It does not produce or distribute movies, much less advertise or promote them," she added.

Responding to criticisms raised against the films, Laguardia said each movie is assigned to a review committee composed of three board members. If anything objectionable is seen, a second review committee composed of five other board members is assigned to submit its own recommendations. The majority decision prevails but due consideration is given to minority views.

"Hostel" was rated R-18, meaning strictly for adults, she said, thus the MTRCB denied it was promoting unhealthy ideas to children. She noted any cinema that shows R-18 movies to children can be closed down or suspended.

"Hostel" conveys the message that failure to nurture children results in the creation of cruel human beings, with no regard for human life, the MTRCB argued.

Laguardia said although the board noted depictions of cannibalism and cruelty in the film, it was disallowed for young viewers.

She said Filomeno made it appear that the film was reviewed exclusively by lawyer Eric Mallonga and Betty Molina. Molina was not even a member of the review committee while Mallonga was only one of three committee members who recommended an "X" rating.

The review committee was chaired by Alfred "Krip" Yuson, a STAR columnist. Yuson and Jaime Bengzon gave the movie an R-18 rating, due to excessive gore, nudity and extreme violence.

As for "Casanova," rated R-13, Laguardia conceded that the movie depicted a nun having sex with a man inside a convent and also group sex, as well as a bishop and his assistant torturing three men.

"The nun having sex and the group sex involved people fully clothed or wrapped in blankets. Such sex acts were merely suggestive and implied, not even evident… which only a man with a malicious imagination could conceive as graphic," said Laguardia in her letter to The STAR.

"It was a beautiful movie that depicted the legendary Casanova turning his back on a life of pleasure, wealth and gratification to be forever with the woman of great intellect, who captured his heart and soul," she added.

"What is blasphemous in such a movie? And further, what is blasphemous in approving such a movie for cinematic release?"

She similarly defended the R-13 rating for "Munich."

"What is dehumanizing and traumatizing about Jews seeking out the assassins of their Jewish sports heroes in the famous Black September massacre?" Laguardia asked.

She said the movie was a faithful depiction of a historical narrative. She said sexual nudity and breast exposures were merely incidental to the film. Reviewed by Marra Lanot, Lucia Orense, and Ricardo de Leon, it was so classified because it is a value-laden movie about loyalty to family and country.

"Derailed," also rated R-13, was cited for depictions of rape, marital infidelity, harsh language and sadistic scenes. "But there is nothing graphic and most sex scenes are merely suggestive," said Laguardia.

Reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Joey Romero, Edmund Sicam and Teresita Villarama, the movie was found to be not offensive.

In "Brokeback Mountain," rated R-18, graphic love scenes show the complexity of the relationship between two men and warranted mature viewership, she added.